CDEM : Community Driven Environmental Management

Community Driven Environmental Management (CDEM)- Vetiver for Soil erosion control and water conservation for sustainable livelihoods in Machakos County

Initiative objective

This is a two-phase project intervention to check soil erosion and water conservation while ensuring sustainable livelihoods in Machakos County_Kenya.

The project was conceived based on the challenges from soil erosion and water shortages as a result of unsustainable use of land. The project activity is cast on the fact that given the appropriate technical (guidance, access to information, training) and financial support disadvantaged youth, men and women in the rural areas can effectively realize their hidden talents in combating the wide spread poverty levels while mitigating the causes and effects of climate change.

Phase I:

Establish the vetiver grass fields with 200 farmers. Each participating farmer is expected to dedicate one (1) hectare of land to the vetiver grass. Intercropping with other food crops will be encouraged. Under technical guidance of GHI the farmers will multiply the allocated vetiver splits to cover the stipulated land cover.

Phase II:

Participating and successful farmers will be introduced to income generating activities which can be accrued from the vetiver grass lands. Key among these will be weaving and support in dairy farming. Dairy farming will be limited to farmers going extra miles to producing additional hectares of the feed stock. Best practices in dairy and farm produce group-marketing skills will be a key output during this phase. Currently the organization is implementing Phase I and looking forward to financial support for its Phase II.